“Please,” she said. “Just tell me what you know.”“You can’t stop it, Athena,” Demeter said. “I see the feathers blooming under your skin. You’ll be weak. You’ll be too late.”“But there is a way to stop it.”

“I don’t know. Not without great cost. There are tools that might help.”

“What kind of tools?” Hermes interjected, impatient as usual.

“Those that you have known before,” Demeter said. “Some of them walking are nearly as old as you are. They are threads that were cut, and then rewoven.”

“What they were always good for,” Demeter answered. “They still are, fundamentally, what they were.”Hermes stepped closer to the eye. He seemed to hesitate to speak to it, but in the absence of a mouth, there were few other options. “I still don’t understand,” he said awkwardly. “How will humans, even reincarnated ones, help us to stop … whatever this is?”

“You still don’t know what this is,” Demeter said.

“This is the Twilight of the gods.”

The skin shook as the goddess laughed. Pebbles bounced on her surface at the vibrations. Athena and Hermes shifted their weight uncomfortably. It was like standing on a drum.“The Twilight of the gods,” Demeter said when the rumbling had stopped. “But not all of the gods. Some of us are the bitches of fate and will persevere.”

The gods and goddesses are reborn into our time, but are mere shadows of what they were. Athena, gone punk, is being killed by the feathers of owls, while Hermes is starving to death, Hera is turning to stone, and Aphrodite is going mad. Yet, there is hope for them all- in the form of Cassandra. Not aware of her past, only knowing that she can sometimes predict the future, Cassandra is unaware both of the forces coming towards her and her family and of the power that she wields. Once she discovers the truth, what side will she choose…or will it be chosen for her?Antigoddess is the first in a new series by Kendare Blake, and picks up the horror and humor of her previous works in splendid detail. The gods and goddesses have fallen from their power, and need the once-shunned prophetess Cassandra in order to end the war between each other. Athena and Hermes are on one side, while Poseidon, Hera, and Aphrodite are on the other, and woe be to anyone in their way. In the search for the reborn Cassandra, readers learn how other beings from Greek mythology have survived in modern times (the descendants of Circe, for example, run an escort and psychic advisory service for the Fortune 100). Told in alternating point of views (Athena and Cassandra), readers get humor, snark, creepy, and spunk all in one. The personalities of the characters are complex and detailed, and if Blake stays true to form, will definitely expand as the series continues. The puzzles in the first book set up the rest of the series nicely, and the ending will set readers who love Antigoddess anxiously awaiting the next in the series. Creepy with some horrific battle scenes mixed in, do not give to readers who have issues with horror or gore, although absolutely satisfactory for a teen collection. Pair with Blake’s previous works for the horror aspect, or tie into CCSS when teaching high school mythology and the Trojan War. 4 out of 5 stars. Antigoddess will be released September 10, 2013. Win an advanced reader copy now!

One of the best things I like about conferences is getting ahold of ARCs. Yes, you can get eARCS but sometimes I just like paper. I may be techie but sometimes I’m old-fashioned. And I flew Southwest this past conference, so instead of the huge post office line, I checked ALL of my ARCs. Love the two free checked bags! Here are five of the titles that I am absolutely looking forward to coming out….

Third in the Circle Reforged series, this picks up the story of Briar, Rosethorn and Evvy as they face dangers in unexpected places, and war on all fronts. Expected publication October 2013.

First in a new series by the author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Athena and Hermes try to solve the mystery of their slow deaths, only to find enemies and allies in unsuspected places. Can Cassandra hold the key to it all? Expected publication September 2013.

Final book in the Fire and Thorn Series,can Elisa save her kingdom, her love, and discover her true destiny? Expected publication date August 2013.

When Tana wakes up from a party to discover that she, her boyfriend (on the edge and infected with the vampire virus) and a boy who won’t divulge his secrets are the only survivors, she has to save them in a race against the cold in the only way she knows how- straight into Coldtown. Expected publication date September 2013.

First of the Legion series, Kennedy must take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth of her mother’s death and stay alive, racing to find the weapon that might be able to destroy the demon aiming for her and her companions. Expected publication date October 2013.

What awesome titles are you drooling over for late summer/fall? Share! Share!

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